THE hub for one of the UK’s biggest wastewater network service operations has achieved a globally-recognised environment standard.
Lanes for Drains’ ‘super’ depot in Slough now complies with ISO 14001 which sets standards for energy use, waste management, recycling and pollution control. The company’s rail division in Rainham, Essex, achieved the standard in 2010.
John Glover, the group’s environment manager, said accreditation for Slough was awarded in just three months. “This is a significant achievement, especially given the size of the new operation and the speed with which it has been mobilised.”
Lanes opened the depot to manage two major waste water network service contracts for a water utility. It is the main hub for services including emergency blockage clearance, internal and external flood response, pollution control and remedial drainage repairs.
Specific measures to comply with the ISO include using the most modern, fuel-efficient vehicles, GPS tracking software so work is scheduled efficiently and supply of spillage protection equipment to react quickly to pollution emergencies.
Glover added: “We took the decision to drive environmental performance by introducing an internationally recognised environmental standard as a platform upon which we could build. ISO 14001 sets out a formal structure by which we must identify and evaluate in detail all potential and actual impacts our undertakings have on the environment.
“We then have to prioritise the higher impacts and allocate actions to remove or reduce the impact to that of an acceptable level. Time frames are allocated where necessary. Only when this was done at Slough could we be registered.”
